for Summer Learning School-Home Literacy Connections Activities for students moving from K to Grade 1 PILOT, May 2003 In support of the State Board of Education’s Commitment to Improving Academic Achievement for All Students PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING K Literacy Contents What does it take to become a reader ....................................................... 1 Lifestyle Literacy Learning........................................................................... 3 Resources for more ideas ............................................................................ 4 Phonemic Awareness ....................................................................................................... 6 On-the-Go Rhyming Game ............................................................................................................... 6 Silly Nursery Rhymes ......................................................................................................................... 7 Sound Blending ..................................................................................................................................... 8 Sound Spy .............................................................................................................................................. 9 Ending Sounds .................................................................................................................................... 10 Say and Clap ....................................................................................................................................... 11 Go Rhyme Fishing.............................................................................................................................. 12 Hunting for Letter Sounds .............................................................................................................. 14 Phonics ............................................................................................................................. 14 Match ................................................................................................................................................... 15 Letter Match ...................................................................................................................................... 16 Alphabet Hopscotch......................................................................................................................... 17 Sound Travel ....................................................................................................................................... 18 Magnetic Words ................................................................................................................................ 19 Hopscotch A Word ........................................................................................................................... 20 Make a Pattern Book ....................................................................................................................... 22 Comprehension .............................................................................................................. 22 Thinking About What We Read ..................................................................................................... 23 Timeline ............................................................................................................................................... 24 Missing Words! ................................................................................................................................... 25 Storybook Stop and Go .................................................................................................................. 26 Personal Telephone Book ................................................................................................................ 27 Letter Detective ............................................................................................................................... 28 Read-aloud Tips for Grown-ups ..................................................................................................... 30 Alphabet Word Bank ........................................................................................................................ 31 Fluency ............................................................................................................................. 32 Word Scavenger Hunt ..................................................................................................................... 32 Dictated Story ................................................................................................................................... 33 Word Find ........................................................................................................................................... 34 Letter or Word? ................................................................................................................................ 35 Letter/Word Hop ............................................................................................................................. 36 Letter Detective ............................................................................................................................... 37 Vocabulary ....................................................................................................................... 39 Shopping for Words .......................................................................................................................... 39 Picture Album ..................................................................................................................................... 40 Writing Your World........................................................................................................................... 41 Family FUNdamentals for Summer Learning—Grade K ii PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING Summer Memory Book ................................................................................................................... 42 Chart It ................................................................................................................................................ 43 Restaurant Play .................................................................................................................................. 44 Family FUNdamentals for Summer Learning—Grade K iii PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING What does it take to become a reader Phonological awareness Phonological awareness is the understanding that language we speak and hear is composed of units of sound called phonemes. These sounds may be a single syllable sound as in the word “full.” Or they may be a single syllable sound in words with many syllables, like the words /ham/-/mer or /but/-/ter/-/cup. Phonemic awareness, a part of phonological awareness, is the understanding that these syllables are made up of even smaller sounds or phonemes. For example the word “pie” has two sounds; the word “stop” has four sounds. Why does my child need this skill? Children need to be able to hear the separate sounds that make up words before they try to read or write them. In fact, there are three kinds of phonological and phonemic awareness: Rhyming— Children need to hear and make rhymes so they can make new words from words they already know. For example: If a child knows the word “fun,” then s/he can make the word “run.” Blending— Phoneme blending helps children connect sounds in words. Segmentation—Segmentation helps children learn to separate sentences into words and words into sounds. This will help a child to write the words s/he hears. Phonics Although related to phonological awareness, phonics is different. Phonics activities can help a child connect the sounds s/he hears to the printed words s/he sees. These activities include recognizing letters and the sounds they make; hearing and writing down the sounds buried within words; and developing strategies to “decode” unfamiliar words. Why does my child need this skill? Children need to be taught the sounds individual printed letters and groups of letters make. Knowing the relationships between letters and sounds helps children to recognize familiar words accurately and automatically, and “decode” new words. Comprehension Comprehension strategies help children understand, remember and communicate what they read. They also help children to link what they are reading to what they already know. Why does my child need this skill? To become independent readers and thinkers, children need lots of practice at predicting what is coming next, and then checking to see if s/he was right. They need to think about ideas and information, ask questions, and solve problems. Children need to know the steps good readers use to make sure they understand text. Students who are in control of their own reading comprehension become more purposeful, active readers. Parent Introduction—Grade K 1 PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING Fluency Reading fluency is the ability to read text accurately and quickly. Several skills help children read fluently: paying attention to punctuation, grouping words into meaningful chunks, and using expression. Fluency also requires children to use strategies to figure out unfamiliar words and to know a lot of sight words that can’t be “sounded out.” Why does my child need this skill? Children who read words smoothly and accurately are more likely to enjoy reading and to understand what they read. When fluent readers read silently, they recognize words automatically. When fluent readers read aloud, they read effortlessly and with expression. Readers who are weak in fluency read slowly, word by word, focusing on decoding words instead of understanding the meaning of what they read. Vocabulary Vocabulary development is learning to use and understand many words, and to use them correctly in sentences. Why does my child need this skill? Children will read and write better when they actively build and expand their knowledge of written and spoken words, what they mean and how they are used. Sources “Reading Tips for Parents,” U.S. Department of Education, June 2002. To request a copy, call 8774ED-PUBS; or go to www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html. “Family FUNdamentals for Literacy,” Michigan Department of Education, Wayne RESA, Partnership For Learning, 2003. www.michigan.gov/mde Parent Introduction—Grade K 2 PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING Lifestyle Literacy Learning Helping your child learn to read and write doesn’t have to take a lot of extra time or money. Here are some easy ways to build literacy skills, at home, in the sun, or on the run. At home • Let your child see you reading and writing as you go through your day. Talk about what you read and write so your child can hear. Say: “I have to use a capital letter at the beginning of this sentence.” “I’m not sure how to spell this word. I’ll say it slowly and listen for the sounds I hear.” “I’m asking Dad a question in this note, so I’d better use a question mark.” (Print awareness) • Place alphabet magnets on your refrigerator or on another smooth, safe metal surface. When you are working in the kitchen, ask your child to name the letters she plays with and the sounds they make. Can she spell some words? (Phonics) • Buy alphabet soups, cereals and cookies and practice finding “letters of the day” with your child as you snack. Leave plenty of time--this will not help you rush through lunch! (Phonics) • Ask your child to tell you a new or interesting word s/he learned today. Does s/he know what it means? Write the word in a writer’s journal or notebook. Have the child draw a picture to go with the word, or use it in a sentence. (Vocabulary) In the sun • Lie on the ground and describe the shapes of the clouds. (Oral language & vocabulary skills) • • • As you play outdoors, play “I Spy.” Look around your world and say, “I spy something that starts with the [m] sound. What is it?” If you like, add clues such as “We use it to cut our grass.” (mower) “It’s where we put our letters.” (mailbox) (Phonological awareness; phonics) “Finger paint” the alphabet using sand, garden soil or playground pebbles. At the beach, try making letters “giant-sized” by walking the shapes or letters. Pretend you are writing messages to airplanes that might pass by. (Phonics) When you take a walk, point out the directions you are going: turning left or right, going uphill or downhill. Point out which directions are north, south, east or west. On the run • Point out printed words in the places you take your child, such as the grocery store. Point out individual letters in signs, billboards, posters, food containers, books and magazines. Ask if s/he know what sound the letter makes. (Phonics; print awareness) • When you travel, bring along a cookie sheet and set of magnetic letters. Your children can find letters, sort and match, and copy short words they see along the way. (Letter recognition and phonics skills; print awareness) • Give your child a flyer, brochure or page from an old magazine. Circle a letter on the page and have him circle matching letters. This is great for preventing boredom in lines or waiting rooms! (Letter/sound recognition) • Play with language! Fight boredom in lines and waiting rooms by playing “sound games”: listening for the same beginning and ending sounds or words, creating rhymes, or making “slowmotion” language, where you stretch out the sounds in words to make them easier to hear. Parent Introduction—Grade K 3 PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING Resources for more ideas Workbooks to boost math skills • Summer Bridge Activities. Various authors, Rainbow Bridge Publishing Available for all elementary school transitions. Lots of colorful worksheets, but may be boring for students who are already working at grade level. Better for the child who has struggled during the school year or a child who has not yet mastered basic skills. • Summer Smarts : Activities and Skills to Prepare Your Child for ______. Various authors, Houghton Mifflin Co. Available for all elementary school transitions. Less repetition of skills and more focus on reading real books. Books for parents Ask for the following books in your local library: • Calkins, L.M. (1997). Raising Lifelong Learners. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. • Copperman, P. (1986). Taking Books to Heart: How to develop a love of reading in your child. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. • Cullinan, B.E. (1992). Read To Me: Raising kids who love to read. New York, NY: Scholastic. • Freeman, J. (1995). More Books Kids Will Sit Still For: A read aloud guide. New Providence, NJ: R.R. Bowker. • Gross, J. (1986). Make Your Child a Lifelong Reader: A parent-guided program for children of all ages who can’t, won’t or haven’t yet started to read. Los Angeles, CA: Jeremy P. Tarcher. • Hearne, B. (1990). Choosing Books for Children: A common sense guide. New York, NY: Dell Publishing. • Hunt, G. (1989). Honey For a Child’s Heart: The imaginative use of books in family life. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. • Hydrick, J. (1996). Parent’s Guide to Literacy for the 21st Century. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. • Kimmel, M.M., & Segel, E. (1983). For Reading Out Loud! A guide to sharing books with children. New York, NY: Delacorte Press. • Kropp, P. (1993, 1996). Raising a Reader: Make your child a reader for life. New York, NY: Doubleday. • Lamme, L.L. (1995). Growing Up Reading: Sharing with your children the joys of reading. Washington, DC: Acropolis Books Ltd. • O’Connor, K. (1995). How to Hook Your Kids on Books: Create a love for reading that will last a lifetime. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers. • Trelease, J. (1995). The Read Aloud Handbook. New York, NY: Penguin Books. Parent Introduction—Grade K 4 PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING • White, V. (1994). Choosing Your Children’s Books: Preparing readers 2-5 years old. Atlanta, GA: Bayley & Musgrave. (Also for readers ages five to eight and eight to 12 years). Web sites with information and free literacy activities Education Place www.eduplace.com A wealth of worksheets and online activities PBS Teacher Source and PBS Kids www.pbs.org Resources for teachers, kids and parents, connected to your child’s favorite PBS shows. Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) Reading Planet www.rifreadingplanet.org/rif/ Games, articles, booklists and activities to keep you busy all summer. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement www.ed.gov/pubs/parents Print and Learn for Kids www.brobstsystems.com/kids/ Offers downloadable and printable worksheets, sorted by grade level. Learning Disabilities Online www.ldonline.org Many resources for parents whose children struggle with learning or learning disabilities. Search with keyword, “reading.” Reading Adventure www.bookadventure.com/ A free reading motivation program for children in grades K-8. Get Ready To Read www.getreadytoread.org/ Information and resources on early child literacy, including a screening tool and skill-building activities for children. Parent Introduction—Grade K 5 PILOT On-the-Go Rhyming Game Phonemic Awareness FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To show your child that rhyming words end in the same middle and ending sounds B What You Will Need: Your child Your imagination! C Let’s Go! 1. As you are riding in your car or walking through your neighborhood, invite your child to play a rhyming game with you. 2. Tell your child you are going to name something you see, and then say another word. S/he is to listen to the sounds and tell you if the two words rhyme. 3. Example: Say, “tree, see.” Ask your child, “Do these words rhyme?” 4. Then say, “tree, cap.” Ask your child, “Do these words rhyme?” D Let’s Go On! 5. Say, “I see a house.” 6. Then say, “house, horse” (you can choose any two words that don’t rhyme, but do sound similar) and “house, mouse” (use any two rhyming words). 7. Then ask your child which word rhymes with house? horse or mouse? MCF-ELA 7:1 --TA / SA Quick Tip for Literacy: er hapt c e som oud. bring out l o d t a e e r mily ur Be s le fa s can t o l h u w d sa the book ivity t c a er. an geth It’s o t y njo can e Plan a vacation where there are no televisions; brings lots of reading material. Why? Many children won’t consider reading as a source of entertainment unless there is nothing else to do. Students have said that they started reading when traveling or when they were at a remote camp or vacation house. By the time they were able to watch television again, many found themselves bored by it and continued reading. Phonological Awareness — K 6 Silly Nursery Rhymes PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child hear the sounds in words B What You Will Need: Nursery rhymes C Let’s Go! 1. Sit close to your child. 2. Read or recite a familiar nursery rhyme to your child. 3. Reread or recite the nursery rhyme, but this time substitute rhyming words that aren’t usually in the nursery rhyme. Example: Humpty Dumpty sat on a great ball. 4. Have your child tell you what is wrong with the nursery rhyme. 5. Invite your child to make up a new silly rhyming sentence. Then tell her/him what is wrong. 6. If you are reciting a nursery rhyme from memory, this activity can be done in the car, at the doctor’s office, while cooking dinner. MCF-ELA 1:2--IL / QT Quick Tip for Literacy: Look for educational videos, DVDs, CDs and TV shows such as “Between the Lions,” “Blue’s Clues,” and “Sesame Street” that feature letter-learning activities for young children. Watch such programs with your child and join in with him on the rhymes and songs. Phonological Awareness — K 7 PILOT Sound Blending FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child blend together sounds in words to form new words Example: If your child sees the word “sat,” your child will be able to connect the sounds in s s a a t making the new word “sat.” B What You Will Need: A picture book, such as The Napping House by Audrey Wood C Let’s Go! 1. Read the book before you read it to your child, and make a list of one-syllable words from the story that are the names of a person, place, animal or thing. 2. Sit close to your child while you read the book out loud. 3. Then inform your child that you are going to read the book again, but this time you want her/him to help. 4. Next say that you will stretch out the sounds in some of the words while you are reading, and you want your child to help by squeezing these sounds together and saying the words. 5. Finally, read the book stretching out the sounds in the words you have chosen, and let your child guess what the word is. Don’t be afraid to help your child at first. MCF-ELA 7:1--IL / QT Quick Tip for Literacy: Play the “Slow Motion Language Game” during spare moments. How does it work? Begin by saying your child’s name in slow motion, stretching out each sounds as you say it. Repeat her/his name in this “slowmotion language” so your child hears each sound clearly. MCF-ELA 7:1--TA / GL Next, try it with other words, stretching out each sound as you say it. Ask your child to guess what word you said, saying the word as it is normally pronounced. Offer lots of praise for successful “translation.” Phonological Awareness — K 8 Sound Spy PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child identify the beginning, middle and ending sounds in words B What You Will Need: Time with your child C Let’s Go! 1. Invite your child to play “Sound Spy” with you. S/he will be a “spy” who has to find matching sounds at the beginning of words. 2. Now, think of two words that begin with the same sounds and one word that begins with a different sound. Example: mat, sit, mop 3. Say the words and have the child say them with you. 4. Then say, “I hear two words that begin with the same sound. Can you ‘Sound spy?’” (Your child may need a lot of help at first.) D Let’s Go On! 5. Try the same game, but this time match middle or ending sounds. This is harder, but with practice, your child should be able to “Sound Spy” in no time! MCF-ELA 7:1--TA / SA Quick Tip for Literacy: Got a minute? Practice listening to the sounds in words by singing Silly Songs. First sing a familiar song like “Happy Birthday to You.” Next replace all the beginning sounds (consonants) in the song with one sound. Example: Sappy sirthday so sou, sappy sirthday so sou, Sappy sirthday sear Sally, Sappy sirthday so sou. Sing happy birthday this way to everyone in the family, changing all the beginning sounds to match the name of the character. Try it with other favorite songs, too. MCF-ELA 7:1--GL / IL Phonological Awareness — K 9 PILOT Ending Sounds FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child learn to focus on the sound s/he hears at the end of words B What You Will Need: Time with your child C Let’s Go! 1. Say each word to your child. 2. Ask your child to tell you the sound (not the letter) each word ends with. jam harp foot hill ink ox town egg l-l-l D Let’s Go On! 3. Choose five words from a book you are reading. Say each word. Say the sound that you hear at the end of each word. MCF-ELA 7:1--IL Adapted from the School-Home Links Reading Kit with permission from the U.S. Department of Education Quick Tip for Literacy: Read books, poems or tongue-twisters that have “alliteration” (repeated consonant sounds, like “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” This is a great way to emphasize initial sounds in words. Choose books with “assonance” (repeated vowel sounds, like “The proud cow howled out loud”) to emphasize the middle sounds in words. Your teacher may have provided you a book list with this packet, or you can ask your local library staff. Phonological Awareness — K 10 PILOT Say and Clap FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child learn to notice the number of syllables in a word B What You Will Need: Time with your child C Let’s Go! 1. Read each word. 2. Have your child clap once for each syllable in the word. cat [cat] (1 clap) sing [sing] (1 clap) baby [ba/by] (2 claps) silly [sil/ly] (2 claps) puppy [pup/py] water (2 claps) [wa/ter] (2 claps) Adapted from the School-Home Links Reading Kit with permission from the U.S. Department of Education Quick Tip for Literacy: butter pickles strawberry chair MCF-ELA 7:1--IL MCF-ELA 7:1--IL [but/ter] [pick/les] [straw/ber/ry] [chair] (2 taps) (2 taps) (3 taps) (1 tap) Next time you’re baking, cleaning up or sharing a meal with your child, play the “Tap & Say” game to help your child learn to listen to the number of syllables in a word. Say a word to your child. Ask your child to tap the table for each syllable in the word. Phonological Awareness — K 11 Go Rhyme Fishing PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child create new words that rhyme with a given word B What You Will Need: Cards or pieces of paper with words on them (up to 27 cards or nine sets) C Let’s Go! 1. Write rhyming words on the pieces of paper (i.e., fish, dish, wish, go , no, so, cat, bat, hat) 2. Shuffle and deal out four cards, leaving the extra card in the “pond.” 3. Ask your child, “Do you have a word that rhymes with “go”? 4. S/he gives you all the cards that rhyme with “go.” If s/he doesn’t have the word — “go fish”! 5. Once a player collects three rhyming cards, it’s a set. 6. Continue until all the cards from the “pond” are gone. MCF-ELA 1:4--HA / TA / GL / AT Adapted from the School-Home Links Reading Kit with permission from the U.S. Department of Education Quick Tip for Literacy: It’s easy to make a set of rhyming word cards by using colored index cards. If you have access to a computer and the Internet, you can find free, easy-to-download word cards and other literacy games at www.englishraven.com. Phonological Awareness — K 12 PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child B What You Will Need: C Let’s Go! 1. D Let’s Go On! Quick Tip for Literacy: Phonological Awareness — K 13 PILOT Phonics Hunting for Letter Sounds FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child hear individual sounds in words and recognize letters that represent those sounds B What You Will Need: Pencils or markers A page from a newspaper, magazine, newsletter, recipe, etc. C Let’s Go! 1. Give your child a page of the newspaper or whatever text you have chosen. Then have your child circle all words s/he can find that begin with the ___ sound. Example: Find all the words that have the same beginning sound as the word “dog.” Do one or two together to get your child started. 2. After your child has completed this game, go through the paper with her/him and have her/him read the words to you. 3. Ask your child to think of five other words that have the same sound as you are working on. Have your child write them down and draw a picture to go with MCF-ELA 1:3--HA / AT Quick Tip for Literacy: Write the alphabet with chalk on your driveway and “walk,” “skip” or “jump” the alphabet, saying the names of the letters as you move your bodies from letter to letter. This is great for active learners. Phonics — K 14 PILOT Match FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child hear individual sounds in words and write them B What You Will Need: A stack of picture cards (see appendix) Pencil or pen and paper A list of the sounds your child is learning C Let’s Go! 1. Review the stack of picture cards with your child. Have your child say the name of each picture out loud. Shuffle the picture cards and give half to your child. Keep the other half for yourself. 2. Place the picture cards face down. Decide which sounds in the words should match for this round: beginning, middle or ending sounds. Example: If you are matching middle sounds, then pictures of a “f[i]sh” and a “p[i]g” would match. If you choose to match beginning sounds, then pictures of a “[t]ree” and a “[t]op” would match. 3. Flip over one card from each pile. Look at the pictures and say their names quietly. If their sounds match, the first player to shout “match” gets to keep both cards. 4. Both you and your child should explain why you called a match. You can talk about the sounds that match. Even better, write out the names of the two pictures and underline the match. MCF-ELA 1:4--HA Quick Tip for Literacy: Has your child memorized a favorite story? Have her point to the words on each page as you read the story. Or invite her to retell the story in her own words. Remember to listen patiently. This will help him or her enjoy reading. Phonics — K 15 PILOT Letter Match FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child match similar letters B What You Will Need: Upper- and lower case magnetic letters or index cards with letters C Let’s Go! 1. Sit with your child next to you. 2. Give her/him a familiar uppercase letter and ask her/him the name and sound of the letter. Mix this letter with four or five other uppercase letters. Ask your child to find the first letter again saying its name and sound. 3. Show your child the lowercase letter that goes with the uppercase letter you used before. Say, “This letter has the same name and sound.” Mix the upperand lowercase letter together with four or five other upper- and lowercase letters. Ask your child to match the upper- and lowercase letter you used before. See if your child can tell you the name and sound of the letter. 4. Use multiple colors of the same letter and various sizes for the upper- and lower case. Again scramble the letters with other letters and have her/him find ALL of any letter you choose. Example: “Can you find ALL the D’s?” 5. Continue to play this game until your child can match all 26 upper- and lowercase letters and tell you their name and sound. D Let’s Go On! 6. Use a magazine or newspaper. Have your child find and color all the upperand lowercase “t” the same color. Use different colors as you change letters. Quick Tip for Literacy: Alpha collections: Give your child a shoebox, plastic tub or other container. Ask her to go on an “Alpha Hunt.” S/he can fill the container with items that start with the sound of a certain letter: Buttons, balls, and barrettes for [B]; leaves, lollipops, and lightbulbs for[L]. MCF-ELA 1:1; 1:4 HA / TA / IL / QT Phonics — K 16 PILOT Alphabet Hopscotch FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child recognize letters and letter sounds B What You Will Need: Several sheets of 8-1/2" x 11" plain paper Crayons or markers C Let’s Go! 1. Print each letter of the alphabet on a sheet of paper. Ask your child to help you decorate the letters with crayons or markers. 2. Choose ten letters and arrange them in a hopscotch pattern on the floor. 3. Play hopscotch, saying the names of the letters as you land on each square. 4. Play again, this time saying the sounds the letters make as you land on each square. MCF-ELA 1:4--HA / GL Quick Tip for Literacy: Read alphabet picture books to make it easy for your child to learn to recognize letters and letter sounds. Your local library and bookstores have many to choose from. Start withThe Amazing I Spy ABC by Ken Laidlaw, or From Acorn to Zoo and Everything in Between in Alphabetical Order by Satoshi Kitamura. Ask your local librarian for other suggestions. MCF-ELA 1:4 HA / GL / QT / IL / AT When you read, have your child point to letters. Take turns finding other objects on the page whose names start with that letter sound. Phonics — K 17 PILOT Sound Travel FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child hear the sounds in words B What You Will Need: List of one-syllable words Paper and pencils or markers Small toy car or truck C Let’s Go! 1. Choose a simple one-syllable word from a story or list. 2. Draw a rectangle, divided into boxes – one box for each sound in the word. (Reading teachers call these Elkonin Boxes.) Example: You would need three boxes for the word “box” – [b] [o] [x] 3. As you say the word slowly, move the toy car into each box from left to right so the car “travels” through the sounds. Do it for your child the first time, then let her/him take over. 4. Say the word again as you run your finger from left to right under the boxes. 5. Repeat for new words, as long as your child is interested. D Let’s Go On! 6. Now write the words in the boxes, one letter per box. Repeat the sound travel as you did before, this time looking at the letters in the words as you make the sound. Quick Tip for Literacy: To make this activity one your child can do on his/her own, make sets of boxes with words taken from your child’s favorite books. Cover each set with contact paper. Then your child can practice blending the sounds whenever s/he likes. Tuck a set into your purse or backpack, then you’ll have a readymade quiet activity for waiting rooms, concerts or other times when your child says, “I’m bored!” Phonics — K 18 PILOT Magnetic Words FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child build vocabulary and read more fluently B What You Will Need: Magnetic letters List of words (or words on index cards) Cookie sheet or stove-burner cover C Let’s Go! 1. Show your child a word. 2. Let your child create the word on the cookie sheet with magnetic letters. 3. Read the word together. 4. Now do another one! D Let’s Go On! 5. Read a word to your child and have her/him create it from memory using magnetic letters. 6. Create a word yourself and help a child read it, putting together beginning, middle and ending sounds. MCF-ELA 1:4--HA / TA / IL / QT Quick Tip for Literacy: Take cookie sheets in the car when you travel. Include a set of magnetic alphabet letters. Your child can use them to do many activities: Sort, match, group, make patterns, find the letters s/he knows, match upper-case and lower-case, make words s/he knows or sees along the road. Phonics — K 19 PILOT Hopscotch A Word FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child identify letters and sounds, and blend them together B What You Will Need: Sidewalk chalk Sidewalk or driveway An active child willing to hop C Let’s Go! 1. Create three boxes with sidewalk chalk (large enough for your child’s feet to fit in). 2. Put a consonant letter in the first box, a vowel in the second box and a consonant in the third box. Example: h o p 3. Have your child jump from one box to the next. Make sure s/he looks at the letter right side up. Have your child say the letter sound when s/he jumps on it. Continue jumping and giving the letter sound for the rest of the letters. 4. Jump again, blending the letters together faster and faster (meaning the child has to jump quicker and quicker). Finally blend the word together and say the word. Note: If it’s too wet to go outside, try making large letter cards you can lay on the floor. MCF-ELA 1:4--HA / IL / GL / AT Adapted from the School-Home Links Reading Kit with permission from the U.S. Department of Education Quick Tip for Literacy: Don’t worry about packing every summer day with activity or lessons. Leave enough free time for children to daydream and explore. Free time allows a child to develop new interests and create their own play. Phonics — K 20 PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child B What You Will Need: C Let’s Go! 1. D Let’s Go On! Quick Tip for Literacy: Phonics — K 21 PILOT Comprehension Make a Pattern Book FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child recognize patterns in a book B What You Will Need: Lots of pattern books (See appendix) Paper Pencils, crayons, or markers C Let’s Go! 1. Read lots of pattern books together. 2. Find your favorite, and write your own book using that pattern.Young children can dictate to an adult. For Example: The Important Book by ______________ 3. Follow the pattern in the book and write a book called The Important Things About My Family. List each family member. Write one page about each one telling the important things about them following the pattern. Quick Tip for Literacy: Looking for a good pattern book? Ask your local library staff for help. Meanwhile, here are a few favorites: • Aardema,Verna (1975). Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears. Dial. • Kalan, Robert. (1981). Jump, Frog, Jump. Greenwillow. • Lobel, Arnold. (1984). The Rose in My Garden. Greenwillow. • Martin, Bill Jr. (1967). Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Holt. • Shulevitz, Uri. (1986). One Monday Morning. Macmillan. Comprehension — K MCF-ELA 3:4—HA / IL / QT 22 PILOT Thinking About What We Read FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child think about what s/he reads B What You Will Need: Book or story Paper Drawing tools Pencil or pen C Let’s Go! 1. Read a story or book with your child. 2. Discuss what the story was about. 3. Discuss where and when the story took place. 4. Discuss who the story was about. 5. Discuss the problems and solutions in the story. 6. Discuss the events in the story. What happened at the beginning, middle and end? D Let’s Go On! 7. Draw three pictures that show what happened in the beginning, middle and end. MCF-ELA 8:2--HA / IL / QT Quick Tip for Literacy: Play “10 Questions” with your child after reading favorite stories to help her ler learn to ask questions about characters when she reads. Read a book or story with your child. Think of a character in the story. Invite your child to ask you questions that can only be answered with a yes or no. When s/he has enough clues, s/he may guess the character. If s/he can’t guess by the tenth question, give the answer and start again. This time, switch places and let your child think of the character. MCF-ELA 3:5--HA / IL / QT Comprehension — K 23 PILOT Timeline FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child understand the sequence of events in a story B What You Will Need: Book or story Paper, pencil and drawing tools Clear tape C Let’s Go! 1. Read a book or story with your child. 2. Have your child draw pictures that show the main events in the book. 3. Write captions for each picture. 4. Tape them together in the order they happened in the story. 5. Ask your child to explain the story to a friend or family member. MCF-ELA 3:5--HA / GL / QT Quick Tip for Literacy: Help your child see the story from the character’s point of view. After reading a story or book with your child, just ask a few simple questions: Which character is most like you? How? Which character is least like you? How? What happens in the story that you wish could happen to you? Why? If your child can write, ask her/him to write the answers. Comprehension — K 24 PILOT Missing Words! FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child predict missing words B What You Will Need: Book or story Paper and pencil or pen Dry beans as markers C Let’s Go! 1. Read a book or story with your child. 2. Find the challenging words. 3. Make a grid of 16 squares on a sheet of paper. 4. Write the challenging words on the grid paper 5. Give your child the grid of words and some dry beans or other small objects. 6. Read or tell your child a sentence which could contain one of the words. Leave out the word. 7. Have your child find, on the grid, the missing word. 8. Put a dry bean on the word. 9. Continue until the child finds four in a row. 10. The child should shout, “Missing Words!” 11. Give a reward. Quick Tip for Literacy: MCF-ELA 7:1 Just like adults, children enjoy a variety of reading materials. There are many different magazines out there targeted to school-age children. The Children’s Television Workshop publishes a variety of educational magazines including Sesame Street Magazine, Kid City, and 3-2-1 Contact. The National Wildlife Federation publishes My Big Backyard and Ranger Rick. Others of interest include American Girl and Highlights. HA / IL / QT Comprehension — K 25 PILOT Storybook Stop and Go FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child understand where to start and stop when reading B What You Will Need: Old storybooks Red and green markers or crayons C Let’s Go! 1. Use a simple storybook with just one line of print per page. Ask your child to point to the FIRST word on the page. Have child point to the word and say, “GO.” Then ask your child to point to the LAST word on the page. Have your child point to the word and say, “STOP.” 2. Use a storybook with two and three lines of print on a page. Now ask your child to point to the FIRST word on the page as s/he says, “START.” Then ask your child to point to the LAST word on the page as s/he says, “STOP.” 3. Use a green or red bingo chip to highlight the first and last words. Variation: Use an old garage sale storybook and have your child color the first word on each page GREEN and the last word on each page RED. Quick Tip for Literacy: MCF-ELA 1:1--HA / IL / QT If at any age your child seems “turned off” by reading, don’t make an issue of it. Casually leave “irresistible” books around-books on whatever the child’s current interests are. For example, in your child’s play kitchen, leave a few books about food and cooking. In the block area, place a book about building. Plant a book about big trucks where your child likes to play with toy vehicles. Comprehension — K 26 PILOT Personal Telephone Book FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child learn that printed letters and numbers carry information To help your child learn to read text from left to right B What You Will Need: Photographs of family members or friends Blank book or chart paper Markers or pencils C Let’s Go! 1. Reading telephone numbers and then dialing can be pretty hard for young children. This activity can help. 2. Create a personal telephone book with your child by placing photographs in a blank book. Write names and telephone numbers next to photos. 3. Practice “reading” and dialing the telephone numbers with a play telephone first. Let your child dial the number on a real phone when you feel that s/he is ready. (Caution: Be sure that your child knows your rules for using the telephone. Do this activity with supervision.) MCF-ELA 1:1--HA Quick Tip for Literacy: Post a family message center: write notes, share ideas and log memories of special events. Read with your children every chance you get—even if it’s just part of a newspaper article at the breakfast table, and turn off the TV when you do it. Comprehension — K 27 PILOT Letter Detective FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child learn to recognize upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet B What You Will Need: Pencil or crayon C Let’s Go! 1. Read each letter. 2. Draw a circle around each lowercase letter. M c R V F O P m A m X D g T E W I L H I J B S z D Let’s Go On! 3. Give your child a newspaper or a magazine. Find one sentence. Ask your child to circle one lowercase letter in each word in that sentence. Adapted from the School-Home Links Reading Kit with permission from the U.S. Department of Education Quick Tip for Literacy: MCF-ELA 1:4--HA / IL / QT Make your own Letter Detective cards and carry them with you in your bag or car. When your child says, “I’m bored,” hand him/ her a card and ask him/her to color all the lower case letters. Next time, use a different card and ask him/her to circle all the upper case letters. For children who are ready for a bigger challenge, use flyers, , magazines--whatever you can find. Play Letter Detective by circling lower case and underlining upper case in several sentences. Comprehension — K 28 PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child B What You Will Need: C Let’s Go! 1. D Let’s Go On! Quick Tip for Literacy: Comprehension — K 29 PILOT Read-aloud Tips for Grown-ups FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To put strategies into action that will help your child become a good reader and writer B What You Will Need: Time with your child Favorite books or other reading materials C Let’s Go! 1. Invite your child to read with you every day. 2. When reading a book where the print is large, point word by word as you read. 3. Read a child’s favorite book over and over again. 4. Read many stories with rhyming words and lines that repeat. Invite the child to join in on these parts. Point, word by word, as he or she reads along with you. 5. Discuss new words. For example, “This big house is called a palace. Who do you think lives in a palace?” 6. Stop and ask about the pictures and about what is happening in the story. 7. Read from a variety of children’s books, including fairy tales, song books, poems and information books. Quick Tip for Literacy: Play “10 Questions” with your child after reading favorite stories to help her ler learn to ask questions about characters when she reads. Read a book or story with your child. Think of a character in the story. Invite your child to ask you questions that can only be answered with a yes or no. When s/he has enough clues, s/he may guess the character. If s/he can’t guess by the tenth question, give the answer and start again. This time, switch places and let your child think of the character. Fluency – K 30 PILOT Alphabet Word Bank FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child build vocabulary and read more fluently B What You Will Need: File folder or spiral notebook Pen, pencil, crayons and/or markers C Let’s Go! If you are using a spiral notebook: 1. Write an individual letter both upper- and lowercase at the top of each page, going in alphabetical order. (Write Aa on page one, Bb on page two, and so on.) 2. Ask your child to think of a word. Then have her/him write it on the page that shows the letter that begins the word. For example, “bat” would be written on the Bb page. The words your child writes could be words s/he needs practice with, or new words s/he has learned, or words of things you’ve discovered on your summer outings. Draw a picture, if possible. If you are using a file folder: 1. Open up the folder and divide the entire inside into 26 boxes. In each box write a letter in both its upper- and lowercase form (Aa, Bb, or Cc, etc.). Then have your child write words in the boxes, matching beginning letters as above. MCF-ELA 1:4--HA / IL / GL / AT Quick Tip for Literacy: Encourage your child to write words the way that s/he hears them. For example, s/he might write haf for have, frn and friend, and Frd for Fred. Ask her to read her writing to you. Don’t be concerned with correct spelling. S/he will learn that later. Fluency – K 31 PILOT Fluency Word Scavenger Hunt FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child build vocabulary and read more fluently B What You Will Need: Highlighter Old magazine or newspaper C Let’s Go! 1. Ask your child to think of a common word to search for. 2. Then look for this word on a magazine page or column of newspaper. 3. When s/he finds the word, highlight it. 4. Continue to search for the specified word until all are highlighted. 5. Then choose another word to search for and repeat. Try using different colors to make a rainbow of words! Try this when your child is bored and needs a quiet activity – like in waiting rooms or at church. MCF-ELA 1:4--HA / TA / IL / QT Quick Tip for Literacy: Each quarter, the International Reading Association posts a list of recommended reading for kids of all ages and reading levels. Check out the books for summer at www.IRA.org. When your children read any of these books, encourage them to complete a quiz related to the book at www.bookadventure.org. Fluency – K 32 PILOT Dictated Story FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child understand that printed words carry the meaning of the story B What You Will Need: Picture, either a photograph of a recent summer event or one drawn by your child Paper Glue/tape Pencil, crayon or marker C Let’s Go! 1. Glue/attach the picture to a piece of paper. 2. Ask your child to tell you something about the picture. 3. Write down your child’s “story” (one or two sentences). 4. Read the story to and with your child several times. 5. Explain that the story your child told can now be read because it is written down. MCF-ELA 10:2; 3:1--HA / QT Quick Tip for Literacy: Read with your children every chance you get--even if it’s just part of a newspaper article at the breakfast table, and turn off the TV when you do it. Fluency – K 33 PILOT Word Find FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child learn that a word is made up of many letters. One word is separated from another word by a space B What You Will Need: Time with your child C Let’s Go! 1. Using a pencil, let your child circle each word in the story. My Cat Max is my cat. He is a nice cat. Max can purr. Max can take a nap. I love Max! D Let’s Go On! 2. Pick out any book and point to ten words in it. 3. If you have an old garage-sale book, let your child use markers to color each word a different color. Variation: Place different colored bingo chips on each word. Quick Tip for Literacy: MCF-ELA 1:4--HA / IL / QT Play reading tag by choosing a book with many words that your child knows. Each time you want your child to read a word, tap him or her on the shoulder. Fluency – K 34 PILOT Letter or Word? FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child learn the difference between letters and words B What You Will Need: Magnetic letters Words and letters written on index cards C Let’s Go! 1. Find a flat surface. 2. Start by making your child’s name with the magnetic letters. (Amanda) 3. Say, “Let’s count how many letters are in your name.” Pull each letter down as you start counting. 4. Say, “Yes there are six letters in your name. (A-m-a-n-d-a)” You could have your child point to and name the first letter in his/her name and the last letter in his/her name, or point to and say ALL the letters in his/her name. 5. Repeat, using other names of family or friends. Say, “All the letters together make the word, but by themselves they are just letters.” MCF-ELA 1:4--HA / TA / IL / QT Quick Tip for Literacy: Have kids “paint” their names with water on a hot sidewalk, then watch the letters disappear! To sneak in some science, have kids guess how long it takes for wet footprints to evaporate, then time it. Challenge them to guess the melting time of ice cubes. Drop items in a pail of water to see if they sink or float. Have children record all guesses and results, and reward the “players” with frozen treats. Fluency – K 35 PILOT Letter/Word Hop FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child learn the difference between letters and words B What You Will Need: Words and letters written on index cards Simple storybook with large print or boxes with print C Let’s Go! 1. Write words on index cards in large print. On other cards, write individual letters. 2. Spread out the words and letters on the floor. Have child jump on a card and say “LETTER” or “WORD” depending on which s/he jumps on. 3. Find simple words on store labels and have your child point to a word. Next, have her/him tell you the letters in the word. Variation: Ask your child to cut out some words and letters from an old magazine. Glue under the correct heading of a chart you make. Quick Tip for Literacy: letters words MCF-ELA 1:4--HA / IL / QT Use movement, touch and texture whenever you can to make learning more meaningful. Your child can build letters or numbers out of clay, playdough, blocks or even his/her own body. You can write words together in the sand, in a tray of rice or stamp them with plastic letters into rolled-out play dough. Fluency – K 36 PILOT Letter Detective FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child learn to recognize upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet B What You Will Need: Pencil or crayon C Let’s Go! 1. Read each letter. 2. Draw a circle around each lowercase letter. M c R V F O P m A m X D g T E W I L H I J B S z D Let’s Go On! 3. Give your child a newspaper or a magazine. Find one sentence. Ask your child to circle one lowercase letter in each word in that sentence. Adapted from the School-Home Links Reading Kit with permission from the U.S. Department of Education Quick Tip for Literacy: MCF-ELA 1:4--HA / IL / QT Make your own Letter Detective cards and carry them with you in your bag or car. When your child says, “I’m bored,” hand him/her a card and ask him/her to color all the lower case letters. Next time, use a different card and ask him/her to circle all the upper case letters. For children who are ready for a bigger challenge, use flyers, magazines—whatever you can find. Play Letter Detective by circling lower case and underlining upper case in several sentences. Fluency – K 37 PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child B What You Will Need: C Let’s Go! 1. D Let’s Go On! Quick Tip for Literacy: Fluency – K 38 Vocabulary Shopping for Words PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help identify words through real-world clues B What You Will Need: Brief shopping list C Let’s Go! 1. Before going to the mall, make a list of five easy-to-find words for your child to look for while shopping. Words could include: entrance, push/pull, exit, shoes, parking, K-Mart, etc. 2. Read the list out loud, and give it to your child as you enter the mall. 3. Challenge your child to find each word before you leave, and help out, if necessary. 4. Cross off or highlight the words as you go. 5. If s/he finds them all, offer a small reward, like time together, coins to spend, or sticks of gum. (Keep it small! When your child learns more words, you don’t want to go broke!) MCF-ELA 4:1--SA / AT Quick Tip for Literacy: Plan what children watch TV Limit your TV time. Experts say that 1 hour per day is enough. Then do more. Tell your child, “The program you choose today has to be something I approve of, and you need to write about it later” (or tell about it, using whole sentences). You might even ask your child to act out a scene from the program you watch. Using language correctly enhances reading skills as well as interest in books. Vocabulary – K 39 PILOT Picture Album FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child become more aware of print as a source of information and to recognize familiar words B What You Will Need: Photographs of family members or items your child likes An album or blank book Tape or glue, labels, markers C Let’s Go! 1. With your child, collect pictures of people or items that your child considers meaningful. 2. Paste them into a book or album and label them. Be sure that your child watches you write the names. 3. “Read” the book with your child and have her/him name the people or items in the book. Over time, s/he will see the print/picture connection and will be able to use it as a kind of dictionary answer to the question, “How do you write _____?” MCF-ELA 3:6--HA / AT Quick Tip for Literacy: Play reading tag by choosing a book with many words that your child knows. Each time you want your child to read a word, tap him or her on the shoulder. Vocabulary – K 40 Writing Your World PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: B To help your child become more aware of print and build a bigger vocabulary. What You Will Need: Markers or colored pencils Paper C Sources of print: magazines, posters, newspapers, advertisements, coupons, book covers, etc. Let’s Go! 1. Print is everywhere! Encourage your child to notice it by asking her/ him to copy all of the words s/he can find around the house in a given period of time. 2. Ask your child to tell you where s/he found each word. Ask what the word says. Do not worry about letter shape or handwriting skills just yet. For now, just explore the world of words. MCF-ELA 1:1--HA / AT Quick Tip for Literacy: Help your child remember and write words they know by playing the “What Goes Together” game. Say a noun, such as “flower.” Next have your child say or write three to five words that tell about the word. For example, for flower they might say: pretty, blue, tiny, tall,smelly. For an action word, such as “jump,” ask yourchild to tell you three to five things that can jump: child, rabbit, kangaroo. If you have pencil and paper handy, have the child try to write the Vocabulary – K words. 41 Summer Memory Book PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING Goal: To give your child practice with writing, to build vocabulary, and to record memories of a summer vacation What You Will Need: Time with your child Picture postcards from places you visit during your travels Pencils, pens, postage stamps Metal or plastic rings Let’s Go! 1. Buy one or more postcards from each city or landmark you visit this summer. Let your children choose their favorites. 2. Help them write on the back side anything they wish to remember. Pre-writers can dictate the story to you while you write. Encourage early writers to write the words themselves, using phonetic spelling. Older writers should try to use “book” spelling. 3. At the end of your trip, punch a hole in the corner of the postcards. Then put them on a ring so your child will have a record of special memories, written in his or her own words. Quick Tip for Literacy: Encourage your child to write words the way that s/he hears them. For example, s/he might write haf for have, frn and friend, and Frd for Fred. Ask her to read her writing to you. Don’t be concerned with correct spelling. S/he will learn that later. Vocabulary – K 42 PILOT Chart It FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child learn how to use a simple chart B What You Will Need: A book C Let’s Go! 1. Read a book with your family. Write the title and author below. Title: ____________________________________________________ Author: _________________________________________________ 2. Ask your family to help you make a chart of all the new words you learned this week. Write your new words down each day. Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 3. How many new words did you learn this week? ____________________ 4. On which day did you learn the most words? ______________________ MCF-ELA 7:3--HA / IL / AT Quick Tip for Literacy: What kind of conversations can you start from the TV shows you are watching? For instance, ask “Why are those people in the program so unkind to each other?” Or ask your child how he would have written the end to the story. Vocabulary – K 43 PILOT Restaurant Play FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child write words easily and automatically and to become an effective communicator B What You Will Need: Pen, pencil, note pads for taking notes Paper, tag board made into blank menus Play money and cash register Paper to make open and close signs, business hours, etc. Placemats C Let’s Go! 1. Visit a restaurant with your child, read a book about people eating in a restaurant, or help your child remember all the things in a restaurant. Together list as many as possible. 2. Provide materials and props and let your child set up a restaurant. 3. Have your child write the menus and signs. 4. Become a customer and order and “eat” at their restaurant. Bon Appetite! 5. Make up other situations, depending on your child’s interest: fire station, department store, pizza parlor. Quick Tip for Literacy: Play “___________ Unplugged” (fill in your child’s name). At least once this summer, take a family pledge to not watch TV for a week. Then have each child record his or her unplugged activities-—books read, letters written, and other activity during the usual TV time. At the end of the week, have a celebration, ask children which alternative they liked best, and discuss future cutbacks on viewing. Vocabulary – K 44 PILOT FOR SUMMER LEARNING A Goal: To help your child B What You Will Need: C Let’s Go! 1. D Let’s Go On! Quick Tip for Literacy: Vocabulary – K 45